Staying True to the Text

Question

I have found something in Christian writings that is very strange to me. I feel that they are mixing right and wrong and deceiving people. For example, In [Nazarene Israel: The Original Faith of the Apostles By Yosef ben Ruach; pp. 19-20] we read:

“The Scripture tells us that the Messiah Yeshua (Hebrew for Jesus) was to be called a Nazarene, because He grew up in a town called Nazareth (or Natseret, in Hebrew):

23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, (so) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene (Hebrew: Natsari).” [Mattithyahu (Matthew) 2:23]

Scripture students look for this reference in the English editions of the Old Covenant, and don’t find it. This is because the reference actually comes from a word play on the Hebrew of Isaiah 11:1, where Netser and Natsari are essentially the same word; just with different vowel points (a pun in Hebraic thought):

11 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch (Netser) shall grow out of His roots. [Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 11:1] “.

My question is, How can we answer this claim?

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    I am not sure why there is a need to answer any “claims” that the Christians make about their bible. It is all founded on deliberately wrong translations and misconceptions so that they can try to further the spurious claims that their religion is true and that the Jews are no longer considered to be the Chosen Nation of God.

    Is there a point in trying to show them the error of their ways? I have never found one. In my experience, their general approach seems to be one of “Don’t confuse me with the facts!”

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team